PRELIMINARY RESULTS ON THE REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF THE WHITE MARLIN, TETRAPTURUS ALBIDUS POEY 1960, IN THE WESTERN EQUATORIAL ATLANTIC OCEAN

SUMMARY The tuna longline fishery in the Atlantic Ocean catches a considerable amount of white marlin Tetrapturus albidus, as by-catch. Aiming at studying the reproductive biology of the species, biological samples and fisheries data were collected by observers on board of the chartered Brazilian tuna longline fleet, based in northeast Brazil, which operates mainly in the equatorial Atlantic, between the latitudes of 5 o N and 5 o S. Data on gonad development, monthly variation of gonad index, size at first maturity and fecundity were analyzed. Size at first sexual maturity (L50) was estimated as 139 cm (low jaw- fork length/ LJFL), for males, and 147 cm, for females. The monthly mean gonad index of the white marlin was highest, for both sexes, in May and June. Fecundity of two mature females was equal to 771.000 and 877.150 t oocytes. RESUME

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